Justice Hauwa Yilwa of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a woman, Halima Haliru Umar, to 20 years in prison after she was convicted of unlawful possession of 302 rounds of AK-47 ammunition and attempting to provide support for acts of terrorism.
Umar was arraigned on March 11 by the Department of State Services (DSS), which arrested her in Plateau State. She pleaded guilty to two out of a four-count charge filed against her.
Following her guilty plea to counts three and four, the prosecution reviewed the facts of the case, after which the court adjourned for judgment on the admitted charges.
In her ruling, Justice Yilwa noted that the defendant had voluntarily pleaded guilty, thereby admitting the facts presented by the prosecution without calling any evidence in her defence.
After the conviction, defence counsel Hamza Dantani urged the court to show leniency, describing Umar as a first-time offender who had shown remorse. He also informed the court that she was a nursing mother of a one-year-old child who was arrested alongside her, and appealed for mercy.
The prosecution counsel, Caliistus Eze, however, told the court that there was no record of prior conviction against the defendant.
Justice Yilwa subsequently delivered her sentence, imposing 20 years’ imprisonment on count three and one year on count four.
The court adjourned proceedings until July 9 for the continuation of trial on counts one and two of the charge, to which the defendant pleaded not guilty.
